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03 October 2024
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Story Ansie Barnard
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Photo Supplied
From left to right: Londeka Mkhwanazi, Semither Mkhize, Salima van Schalkwyk, Slindokuhle Ndlovu, Asanda Mpinga, Mantombi Molefe, Ntombinkulu Khumalo, Mosebjadi Chauke and Thembinkosi Mkhwanazi.
The Amrut Foundation, in partnership with the University of the Free State (UFS), successfully hosted its Inaugural Innovathon at the UFS Qwaqwa Campus. This competition is designed to identify and support innovative products and services that not only generate profit but also contribute to the public good, with a strong emphasis on ethical business practices. Through this collaboration, students gain national exposure for their businesses and receive support to create sustainable social enterprises.
Five teams of student social entrepreneurs from the Qwaqwa campus were shortlisted to participate in the regional finals. Their selection was based on ventures that adhered to a social entrepreneurship model and demonstrated plans for long-term profitability and sustainability.
During the Innovathon, a panel of judges from the UFS, the Amrut Foundation, and the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) selected two outstanding teams to represent the UFS at the national finals, which will take place in October. The winning ventures, Biofly-Pro and Root Rescue were each awarded R20,000 to further develop and expand their initiatives.
Hemang Desai, Executive Director of the Amrut Foundation, expressed his enthusiasm for the event: "Amrut is proud to co-host the Free State leg of the inaugural Innovation Challenge with the UFS. Supporting students with entrepreneurial ambitions that align with societal care is one of our key focus areas."
Dr Grey Magaiza, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director for the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies at the UFS, highlighted the importance of social entrepreneurship: “Social entrepreneurship is a collaborative effort towards creating sustainable and ethical business processes. The two winning projects embody these principles, and we look forward to their continued growth. In line with our Vision 130, social entrepreneurship can serve as a critical lever for university-community engagement.”
Congratulations to Biofly-Pro and Root Rescue on their well-deserved achievements!
Unit for Language Facilitation and Empowerment
2004-11-26
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Seated - fltr: Drs Jackie du Toit, from the UFS's Department Afro-Asiatic Studies, Sign Language and Language Practice and Elbie Truter, from the UFS's ULFE.
Standing - fltr: Mr Roelof Geyser, from the UFS's ULFE; proff Theo du Plessis, head of the UFS's ULFE; Naomi Morgan from the UFS's Deparment of Afrikaans, Dutch, French and German and Johan Lubbe from the UFS's ULFE.
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Six members of the University of the Free State's (UFS) Unit for Language Facilitation and Empowerment (ULFE) will take part in the Multilingual Information Development Programme's (MIDP) 5th International Colloquium that will be presented from 29 November -1 December 2004 at the University of Antwerpen in Antwerpen. The topic of this year's colloquium is Multilingualism and the Media.
Various highly acclaimed experts from Belgium and Europe will take part in the colloquium.
It is the first time that so many staff members of the UFS's ULFE will take part in this series of colloquiums, which form part of the ULFE's MIDP project. The project is a partnership with the Free State Province and is conducted in cooperation with the University of Antwerpen. Although the series of colloquiums is mainly sponsored by the Province of Antwerpen, the National Research Foundation and the UFS's Central Research Fund also makes substantial contribution to the series.
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Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
26 November 2004 |